Project Pan Them All | August/September Empties

Hi ladies! Since I have been away in France in August and I really did not bring much with me, I was not really able to use up a lot of products, so I combined my August and September empties.

Yes, the mouthwatering cotton candy, sweet vanilla and bubblegum scent of LUSH Snow Fairy Shower Gel is simply intoxicating and I could not have asked for something better in this department, but the letdown is that, despite its fairly consistent texture, the shower gel requires tons of product to get an adequate leather, which is a real shame considering how overpriced this product is! Appart from the scent - which is not as strong in the shower as it is in the bottle - I can't justify the price of Snow Fairy and I won't be repurchasing it.

I was recommended Pro-Derm Hydrogel from the doctor I consulted when I had my monstruous allergic reaction after I went swimming in a supposedly radioactive lake (don't ask...). Made with a synergy of plant and marine ingredients to ensure exceptional efficiency, Hydrogel is claimed to rapidly soothe sensible skin. Its usage is recommended after aesthetics interventions or to regenerate the skin’s protective film after bathing, showering or shaving. I did not find it especially moisturizing and I was disappointed with how fast I used it ip, especially given its expensive price - around $60!

The first time I tried KORRES Yoghurt Instant Soothing Gel on my dry skin, I actually jumped in surprise because it made my skin sting so much! Fortunately, my skin calmed down after a few minutes, and when I applied the gel again the following morning, everything was OK this time - weird! While this gel does soothe and calm my dry and irritated skin, I did not notice any "light cooling effect" and while my skin did feel nourished and moisturized, it failed to completely relieve my very dry skin. 

Having never used an exfoliating moisturizer before, I did not know what to expect from Jergens Replenishing Vitamin E Gentle Exfoliating Moisturizer but I was not impressed - it is really light and watery and it did not even seem to moisturize my dry skin at all.

Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter is the lip balm I mostly relied on when I was in France, and it did not disappoint! I really prefer it over the original beeswax lipbalm, which seems to dry my lips even more. This mango butter version goes on much more smoothly and not waxy at all, and I could still feel it on my lips after quite some times, which means I did not feel the urge to constantly re-apply it.

I must say I am not a huge fan of peel off face masks for some reasons - maybe because none of them are really moisturizing on my dry skin? Montagne Jeunesse Prickly Pear Peel Off is no exception, but it did smell sooooo fruity and yummy!

Project Pan Them All | June Empties

Julep The Best Pedi Créme Ever! was a nice surprise in my Julep Maven Boho Glam box from last April. For $22, I wish the tube was bigger, but even though the cream is light, you don't need a lot of product to cover both feet. The cream smells absolutely delicious and fresh - juicy cucumbers, yum! I can't say I was absolutely amazed at the difference this cream made for my feet, but yes, it did leave them softer and smoother.

I already used Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer a long time ago and it absolutely did not work for me... which was not different this time. I received a sample through Facebook and it lasted me a relatively long time but it absolutely did not made me look tan. I was hoping I could use this lotion to touch up my tan, but no, it's useless because it did not even moisturize my skin properly.

Zorah Biocosmétiques Bioserum Structure is awesomely moisturizing and it lasted me quite a long time because I only needed about two drops to cover my whole face. I like how this product leaves my face imediately soothed and smooth. If you use the right quantity, Bioserum Structure is quickly absorbed into the skin and you don't have to wait forever to apply your night cream.

Crest Complete Scope Outlast in Long Lasting Mint is supposed to provide a cool, refreshing brushing experience and a fresh feeling that lasts up to 5x longer than a regular anticavity toothpaste but I will have to disagree with the latter statement though because I have yet to find a toothpaste that leaves my breath as minty and fresh as Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste does!

Marcelle Hydra-C ComplexE Facial Exfoliating Gel came in the Hydra-C Xmas Black Box I bought at Groupe Marcelle Spring 2010 Warehouse Sale but I was incredibly disappointed with it. It's not abrasive enough for a good exfoliation and the product just vanishes super quickly - I had to refrain myself from throwing it in the trash!

I received a sample of The Body Shop Chocomania Shower Cream as part of Meredith's giveaway prize and OMG, this stuff smells sooooooooooooo good, almost like the real stuff! I also appreciate how it's really more like a shower cream than a liquidy gel. I'm so glad to have a full-size backup in my stash!

I was really pleased with AHAVA Foot Cream unique texture - it really felt thick and a bit muddy, which was awesome and really moisturizing! I never used something like this before.

August Empties

☑ L'Oréal Sublime Mousse Conditioner

I absolutely HATED this mousse hair dye. The conditioner was OK, but I will not repurchase the hair dye. See my review to understand why.

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: L'Oréal Féria Shimmering Boost Hydrating Conditioner

☑ John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo & Conditioner (sample)

Free samples are always nice, but I'm still not convinced by these shampoos and conditioners specifically desgined for brunettes. They didn't prevent my hair color from fading and they sure didn't illumniate it.

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: Herbal Essences Body Envy Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner

☑ Udderly Smooth Udder Cream Body Cream (sample) review

This must be one of the best body cream for my dry and eczema-prone skin. It is non greasy and it's absorbed very, very quickly into the skin, leaving it imediately smoothed and moisturized. I was actually quite surprised at how fast it soothed my dry and irritated skin and eased the itching due to eczema. This cream is also soooooo inexpensive ($2.75 for 4 oz. tube), I will be sure to repurchase it!

Repurchase: yes!!!

What I'm currently using to replace it: Jergens Naturals Aloe Soothing Body Moisturizer with Cucumber

☑ Fruits & Passion Orange Cantaloup Foaming Bath Cream

This is total crap! Despite its steep price ($23.00 for 250 ml), what you get is far from the "thick, creamy, fragrant foam", as claimed. The foam disappears after 10 minutes and even if the product smells great in the bottle, I can barely smell something once poured in the bath. It did leave my skin softer, but not enough to skip moisturizer.

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: random bath treats

☑ Fruits & Passion Blackberry Musk Foaming Bath

Again, very average foam that last about 10 minutes. Disappointing for the price.

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: random bath treats

☑ Biotherm Aquasource 24h Deep Hydration Replenishing Gel (sample)

This sample was very small so I'm not too sure what to say about it, except that gel moisturizers are never a great match for my dry skin, as most are not moisturizing enough.

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Moisturizing Gel Cream for dry skin

☑ Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion (sample) review

This lotion is eco friendly, cruelty free and vegan and it can be used all over your body. Despites its formula being a little too light and watery for my liking, it works well but boy is it pricey ($25 for 4 oz)! For now, I'm currently testing a new face cream so I'm using the full-size version of this lotion on my hands to see if it will help with my eczema.

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion

☑ NeoStrata Sunsation Insta-Tan For Face Deep Dark

I've had this for so long but I've never really been into self-tanners until recently, and I'm not sure if it's because it's too old or just because it's total crap, but I don't get a tan at all when I use this product. I have also tried it on my body but no, nothing. And it's supposed to be deep dark...

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: Clarins Intense Bronze Self Tanning Tint For Face and Decolleté

☑ Jergens Naturals Aloe Soothing Body Moisturizer with Cucumber review

Despite its light texture, this product is very moisturizing and I do think it has slightly helped with my eczema. I'm absolutely in love with the clean and fresh scent - perfect for summer!

Repurchase: yes

What I'm currently using to replace it: Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Hand & Body Lotion

☑ Hana Shine Shield Thermal Protectant (2 oz) review

This product is a thermal serum that can be used as a leave-in conditioner, which I did and I feel it did a pretty great job. When I first used this product, I didn't feel it did something for my hair, but I changed my mind after a couple of days of using it. My hair were definitely softer, shinier and more manageable. I woould not repurchase because I think $29.99 for a 2oz bottle is definitely expensive!

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream Sleek & Shine

May Empties

☑ Avon Solutions Plus+ Maximum Moisture Hydrating Booster

This is actually the first serum I have used, and I must say, it got me hooked! I always thought serums were for older ladies, but I decided to give this one a try as it was on sale for around $3, and I'm glad I did! I can totally see a difference in my skin condition when I use a serum.

Repurchase: yes

What I'm currently using to replace it: Biotherm White D-Tox Translu-Cell Intense Brightening Serum

☑ Mario Badescu Skin Care Enzyme Cleansing Gel (sample size)

There's nothing special to say about this cleanser, but I'm glad it didn't dry out my skin.

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: Marcelle Hydra-C ComplexE Gentle Self-Foaming Cleanser

☑ Jergens Natural Glow Face Daily Moisturizer SPF 20

I have this since such a loooong time, and I never properly used it because a) it's not moisturizing AT ALL for my super dry skin, and b) it doesn't give me a "glow" AT ALL. Totally disappointing. Anyway, I figured out I would use it up now that's it's the summer and the weather is less harsh on my skin. The only thing I liked about this moisturizer was the scent - it smells like caramel!

Repurchase: no

What I'm currently using to replace it: Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Moisturizing Gel Cream for dry skin

Review: Jergens Replenishing Vitamin E Gentle Exfoliating Moisturizer

Price: around 8$ for 200 ml / 6.7 FL. OZ.

The claims:

Ingredients:

Pros:

• quickly absorbed in the skin
• imediately leaves skin feeling soft and smooth  
• not greasy
• convenient pump bottle
• you get a good quantity of product for a nice price

Cons:

• this product is claimed to be rich, but it's really light
• did not get rid of all my dry patches
• smells strange
• I haven't noticed any exfoliation
  

What I think:

I've never heard of exfoliating moisturizers before, so I was excited to give this product a try. Though it's a great product, I was disappointed to not see any exfoliation effects after using it. There's no exfoliating beads or anything in the lotion, so I didn't really know what to expect. I have noticed my skin to be soft and smooth after using the lotion, but I would have hoped to see more obvious results.

Overall, this is a great lotion, even if I'm more of a a body butter girl. I find this lotion to be quite light and watery, but I guess that's why it is so quickly absorbed into the skin.

Recommend? yes

Rating: ★★★★★

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review purposes, and the fact that it was free absolutely does not influence my opinion.

Mail of the week (August 30 - September 3)

Not much in the mail this week, but keep reading for freebies!

Free sample of Purex 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets + $2.00 off coupon: Get yours here.

Free sample of GoodNites Boys Underwear for nightime: This is for the little Samuel, when he will be older, of course =P Get your sample here.

 Jergens Replenishing Vitamin E Gentle Exfoliating Moisturizer from Glow Magazine: I have recently become a reviewer for the Glow Magazine Testing Panel, and this is the first product I received. I have never heard of an exfoliating moisturizer before, so I can't wait to try it out!